Ish Sodhi is a New Zealand international cricketer who plays for Canterbury in domestic cricket. He bats right-handed and is a right-arm leg-spin bowler. In January 2018, he became the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world after rising from tenth place at the end of the previous year. He was part of the New Zealand team that finished second at the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Sodhi made his international debut for New Zealand in a Test match against Bangladesh during the 2013 tour. He played his first T20I against the West Indies in July 2014. Later in 2014, he was chosen for the Test series against Pakistan, where he scored 63 in the first match, which remains his highest Test score and the best ever by a New Zealand number ten batter. He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe on 2 August 2015.
Ish Sodhi Records and Achievements
Ish Sodhi took 181 wickets for Northern Districts in the Plunket Shield across seven seasons starting from 2012–13, including 40 wickets in just seven matches in the 2016–17 season and 28 wickets in four matches the following season.
He won the Player of the Series award against Australia after taking 13 wickets in a home T20I series and later took nine wickets at the T20 World Cup in the UAE, where New Zealand finished runners-up.
In Test cricket, Sodhi took 13 wickets in the 2022 series against Pakistan. In October 2025, he became New Zealand’s most capped men’s T20I player, playing his 127th match.
Ish Sodhi Career Stats
Ish Sodhi has played 21 Test matches in his career. He has taken 58 wickets, with his best bowling figures being 6 for 86. He has taken two four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul in this format. With the bat in Tests, he has scored 561 runs, including four half-centuries.
In One Day Internationals, Ish Sodhi has played 54 matches and picked up 64 wickets. His best ODI bowling figures are 6 for 39, and he has one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul. As a batter in ODIs, he has scored 210 runs and has hit 8 fours and 10 sixes.
In T20 Internationals, he has featured in 135 matches and taken 160 wickets. His best bowling performance in T20Is is 4 for 12, and he has taken four four-wicket hauls. With the bat in T20Is, he has scored 210 runs and has hit 12 fours and 10 sixes.
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 21 | 58 | 6/86 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| ODIs | 54 | 64 | 6/39 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| T20Is | 135 | 160 | 4/12 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 21 | 561 | 0 | 4 | 67 | 7 |
| ODIs | 54 | 210 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| T20Is | 135 | 210 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 |
Ish Sodhi’s Personal Life
Ish Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, which is why he has strong roots in Punjab. His full name is Inderbir Sodhi, and he is the first India-born cricketer to play for New Zealand.
During New Zealand’s tour of India in 2016, it was a rare sight to see a New Zealand player speaking Punjabi at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. Ish spoke in the local Punjabi dialect with a young trainee during net practice, which showed his connection to his roots. The trainee praised his bowling and his performance in the World T20.
Around 15 to 17 family members travelled from Khanna, Phillaur, and Panchkula to watch him play. They included his father Dr Raj Sodhi, his 79-year-old grandmother Gurdeep Kaur Sodhi, and several cousins. The family gathered in Chandigarh and later watched the day-night match together, cheering for New Zealand and for Ish.
Ish Sodhi began his cricket journey as a fast bowler. He later switched to spin after attending a coaching clinic in Auckland run by former New Zealand off-spinner Dipak Patel. He trained under former New Zealand captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2013 at Chittagong.
Ish Sodhi’s Contract
Ish Sodhi received his first New Zealand central contract in June 2016 after missing out the previous season. He earned the contract following strong performances, especially in the 2016 World T20. In that tournament, Sodhi was New Zealand’s standout bowler and took 10 wickets in five matches at an average of 12.
FAQs
Q. Where is Ish Sodhi from?
A. Ish Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India to a Sikh family.
Q. When did Ish Sodhi move to New Zealand?
A. Ish Sodhi moved to Papatoetoe, New Zealand, when he was four years old.
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